


Ten Minutes

by glorious_clio



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Genre: Alderaan angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:51:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6389074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorious_clio/pseuds/glorious_clio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leia's got ten minute before they brief Rogue Squadron. How she spends them is up to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Minutes

Ten minutes. She had ten minutes before the report for Rogue Squadron, until another battle with the Empire. And if they didn’t win, they would be dead. The beautiful jungles of Yavin IV would be turned to dust as Alderaan had.  

The Empire had tracked them, she knew they would. Han Solo was wrong and the Death Star was on its way.  Leia herself had stubbornly punched the rebellion’s coordinates into his navicomputer just a little while ago, knowing protecting the secret was nothing short of pointless. She hadn’t given up the location before, she didn’t want to tell him now.  Stubborn.  But it was the principal of the thing and he couldn’t stop her from making the calculations for the jump to hyperspeed.

The rest of the scattered rebellion was looking to them, watching for their reaction. Defeat today would be the death of the rebellion as they knew it. Mon Mothma would have to start over.

Leia didn’t want to talk to Han, or Luke, or anyone other than Wedge Antilles.  

Approaching a group of Rogue Squadron pilots, she immediately picked out Wedge, jerking her head away from the rest of the group.

If he was shocked to see her white dress covered in filth (some of it her own), her hair wisping away from her buns, the reak of her own sweat on her skin, he didn’t show it.  

She’d have time for an official debriefing later. Maybe. It was enough to that everyone knew that she didn’t give up their location willingly.  A lot of good that had done. 

“Alderaan?” her cousin asked. 

She shook her head, sadly.  She couldn’t decide which was worse, watching it end or not.  Relying on rumors, waiting for confirmation.

Wedge crushed her into a hug.  She didn’t cry, but she didn’t stop him from doing it.  From the sounds of it, he already knew the fate of his father and the rest of the crew aboard the Tantive IV.  What she would not say is that those who survived the skirmish were executed in front of her to loosen her tongue.  Her eyes burned but she couldn’t seem to make any tears.

She wanted to tell him that Captain Antilles knew the risks and had died a hero, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth. Those words were hollow anyway.

Suddenly feeling like she was suffocating, Leia took a deep breath and Wedge stepped back. His eyes were red but he was gathering his self control. He thought he understood what it meant to lose a planet, but he would learn what loss really meant.  For the rest of his life.  Just like her and all the other orphans of Alderaan.  

“I am sorry,” Leia said quietly.

“No one blames you.”

“They found us anyway.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll move base again.  We keep fighting.”

Leia held in her control. Would it snap under the pressure? She almost wanted it to.  But later.  After the battle.  If they lived.  She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze.

“I recommended a boy named Luke Skywalker for Rogue Squadron.  He’s been thrown in with your group and I’m sorry.  But he’s cool in a fight and I don’t think he’ll get in your way.  Biggs Darklighter has already vouched for his piloting skills; he’s walking Luke through an X-wing cockpit now.”

“Darklighter is hardly battle-tested.”

“Just...” she took a deep breath.  “Look, we need all the help we can get right now, ok? Just try and smooth things out for him with the other pilots.”

“Of course, Leia.  Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m gonna go get some caf.  See you at the briefing.”

“What briefing?”

_ “All Rogue Squadron pilots report to the briefing room immediately.” _

“That one,” Leia said tiredly.  She gave Wedge’s hand another squeeze and walked away from him, nodding at the other Rogue Squadron pilots in a sudden scramble, jumping into flight suits and running to the meeting. 

Ten minutes were up. Back to her post.


End file.
